And for a very long time I would have yeah, that's me but this summer I've rediscovered my real first love, cricket.
I watched, played and coached cricket for a huge chunk of every summer for most of my life until around the time I started writing my original blog at Livejournal. In fact part of the reason I started blogging was because of the void left in my life when I stopped coaching the juniors at Thornaby Cricket Club.
I packed in for a number of personal reasons but the truth was I just wanted to do some other stuff. Just have a flick back through the summer months of my blogs to see what I've been up to. I might even have a look myself if only to confirm how little I've talked about cricket
I've just lost touch with the sport, I would have watched it on the goggle box if live cricket hadn't sold (out) to Sky.
I've had a quiet couple of months and never being one to mope round I've found myself drawn to the real beautiful game. It started with me playing in Pally Park with my Spanish nephews at the end of July and then taking one of them to formal cricket practise at Middlesbrough Cricket Club. I've now got drawn into the real life soap opera drama of following Thornaby CC's NYSD Premier League relegation dogfight. Actually more like a whimper but a couple of them are ex Co-Op lads so it will be over when it's over.
Of course it's been a lousy summer for cricket but on Tuesday I went to watch day 1 (of 4) of Yorkshire v Gloucestershire at the 126th Scarborough Cricket Festival. Amazingly in a summer in which Yorkshire have apparently lost almost 24 days out of 55 to bad weather they played all day, uninterrupted. Needless to say it's been rained off Wednesday and Thursday but hey ho.
And the Scarborough Cricket Festival was my last festival of the Summer. I went to No Direction Home, Stockton Calling, A Place in the Sun and The Stockton Weekender.
This week-end I should have been at my beloved End of the Road Festival but I decided with a heavy heart to sell my ticket on eBay about 6 weeks ago, losing a few shillings along the way. As usual I was heading down on my own and although the solitude of being on my own for 4 days didn't phase me (it never does) in the end I just couldn't face the monstrous six and a half hour journeys there and back. Fingers crossed for the weather and I hope everybody (it's sold out) has a great time. Maybe next year (but probably not).
Above - Gloucestershire batting vs Yorkshire
Below - The greatest living Yorkshireman. looking dapper and well.
Ah, Music! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egwARrX1ik8
ReplyDeleteOne of the nicer things about Yorkshire Cricket was they used to play at all the grounds in the county - I used to go to games at Middlesbrough and Scarborough with my dad and sometimes at York too. Maybe they still do.
So now I am in Brid for 2 weeks and thought I might visit the Riverside to catch a game but no, there is an 'international break' so maybe i'll have to go to Hull Ice Arena and catch a Stingrays hockey game instead. Some how I don't think singing to the Cardiff fans "Always shit on the Welsh side of the bridge" in Hull will have the same humour as it does when sung in Swindon. (To the tune of "Always look on the bright side of life")
Steve
We'll have to meet up at Scarborough next season. If you do come up to the Boro some time, I'll crack open my piggy bank and buy a ticket to join you.
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